Is it to win games and trophies or is to grow the business of rugby? Croquet has its fair share of winners but who earns a living from it? Winning can be defined in many ways, not just on the scoreboard.

The more people who watch rugby either at the ground or on television, the healthier the profession is. The two teams in Super Rugby either coached or heavily influenced by Jake White have opted for the pragmatism of winning to the detriment of the game they play.

The Brumbies’ 16-9 win over the Sharks contained 93 kicks in general play as neither team were prepared to risk holding possession in their own half.

The Brumbies actually kicked the ball more times than they took the ball into contact. If it wasn’t for the offside rule, it could have been a game of AFL.

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Last week the Waratahs and Hurricanes played out an attacking classic. Both teams ran the ball roughly 800 metres each and kicked the ball a total of 36 times, many of which were attacking kicks. In contrast, the combined run metres of the Brumbies and Sharks was just over 700 metres.

There has been a suspicion that Jake-ball is a grotesque style of rugby, something highlighted when its two Super Rugby proponents came together on Saturday night. Like the magnetic poles, they can only succeed in the long term while there are teams prepared to be their polar opposite.

That’s why the competition is being held to ransom. The Waratahs cannot afford to play no-risk rugby, nor can the Hurricanes, Blues and Chiefs. The Tahs went down the pragmatic route before and as their finals appearances grew, their coffers diminished. When the success departed, all that was left was disillusionment.

The Sharks do not owe Australian rugby any favours but the Brumbies do. Part of the reason why White’s winning brand of rugby was spurned by the ARU in favour of Ewen McKenzie was the fear that a jaded fan base would not be engaged with a no-frills Wallabies outfit.

Why should the Brumbies be exempt from such pressures? Super Rugby in Australia does not have a sufficient tribal fan base to withstand or appreciate the tactical intricacies of Jake-ball. When the Reds won the Super Rugby title in 2011, the attacking manner in which they did it was as admired as the achievement itself.

As much as the Brumbies play on the ''little brother'' tag as a means of motivation, it would not survive without the heartlands of Queensland and NSW. Canberra may produce its fair share of players but the majority of future Brumbies are learning their trade on the suburban fields of Sydney and Brisbane.

The Sharks and Brumbies are among the highest-scoring teams this year. Don’t let that fool you. Both teams are blessed with attacking talent and score wonderful tries, but they are vultures that feed off the mistakes of others. Attacking talent is expressed only once the odds are stacked in their favour.

If the rest of the competition played like that, then Super Rugby would be in trouble.